Category Archives: Mary Laudien

Apr11

TENDER TUESDAYS – SURVIVING MY HUSBAND’S RETIREMENT #5

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TENDER TUESDAYS – SURVIVING MY HUSBAND’S RETIREMENT #5

THE RETIREMENT THAT ALMOST WASN’T!

FREEDOM 69 TIMELINE:

January 1, 2017 – Husband Officially Retired

January 1- February 1- Husband enjoying Retirement Cruises

March 4th- FREEDOM 69 RETIREMENT PARTY

March 7th- Tour of Memorial Gardens and Meeting with Funeral Planning Consultant (Read March 11th Post: A Retirement Party on the Weekend and a Funeral Consult 2 Days Later)

March 21st-Ambulance called at midnight

March 22nd- Emergency Surgery -Bowel Reconstruction (8.5 hrs. with 2 surgeons working on husband)

April 5th- Husband discharged with Daily Home Care Nurse Visits

Prairie Girl and husband were completely blind-sided by this incredible medical journey that husband landed himself into. They imagined that they’d merrily continue into this new retirement phase with even more adventure and … Read the rest

Mar20

TENDER TUESDAYS – PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES – #12

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TENDER TUESDAYS – PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES – #12

WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE HAVE TO FINISH EQUIPPING OUR NEW BOAT?                               (…AND WHERE’S THE HEAT?)

 

Call Prairie Girl naive, but she was incredulously baffled when husband announced that there would be several expensive purchases to be made in order to completely outfit their brand new Catalina 28 Mark 11 Anniversary Edition. Prairie Girl just assumed that their DREAM BOAT was loaded to the max- complete with an anniversary plaque, a wooden hull to mount on their wall at home, a set of Catalina dishes, upgraded upholstery and blinds, a bimini and sunbrella protectors for the windows… What did husband mean when he said it wasn’t completely outfitted with everything necessary?

Prairie Girl can visualize her readers nodding their … Read the rest

Mar14

TENDER TUESDAYS- SURVIVING MY HUSBAND’S RETIREMENT #4

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TENDER TUESDAYS- SURVIVING MY HUSBAND’S RETIREMENT #4

A RETIREMENT PARTY on the WEEKEND… and a FUNERAL CONSULT 2 DAYS LATER!

– SURVIVING MY HUSBAND’S RETIREMENT -Instalment #4

Prairie Girl is certain that this Post Headline grabbed your attention! Seriously, it did happen and husband’s had nightmares ever since! (Please don’t think these two take the death of loved ones lightly- they don’t!) However, they do get themselves into predicaments without always anticipating the outcomes of their “in-the-moment” comments.

Last January when husband’s father passed away, Prairie Girl and husband met with the Memorial Gardens director to ensure that their father’s wishes were being followed. Husband was so thankful that he, his sister, and their mother weren’t burdened with making decisions to the BIG QUESTIONS. Opa had … Read the rest

Mar7

TENDER TUESDAYS SURVIVING MY HUSBAND’S RETIREMENT – #3

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TENDER TUESDAYS SURVIVING MY HUSBAND’S RETIREMENT – #3

FREEDOM 69 RETIREMENT PARTY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wife may have had a devious reason for planning a party with a retirement theme for husband, other than the fun opportunity to have friends over for a night of merry-making… (Hard to imagine, I know!) Have you figured out what it might possibly be? Yep, she secretly figured that if the retirement was made official with an EVENT, there really wouldn’t be wiggle room for husband to be enticed to get involved in new ventures being proposed. There had been so many false starts leading to his retirement decision that WIFE wanted it sealed in public. After all, Ryan had hit his FREEDOM 69… Read the rest

Feb23

TENDER TUESDAYS -PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES #11

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TENDER TUESDAYS -PRAIRIE GIRL SERIES #11

BRING THAT BRAND NEW

CATALINA 28 HOME!

I know, I know, it isn’t even Tuesday! It appears cross-country skiing was a bit much for our Prairie Girl…. Landing on her tailbone, not only caused great tenderness (specifically, “a pain in the butt”), but the whiplash from landing so hard, brought on 5 days of tension headaches due to the impact on her neck muscles…. SHEESH….

The last post Prairie Girl wrote announced the purchase (scheming) husband made of a brand new Catalina 28 Mark 11 Anniversary Edition on their anniversary. (Blog Archives, Dec. 13, 2016) It was purchased in Portland, Oregon in early spring, and husband then had to figure out how to get it home to Thunderbird Marina … Read the rest

Feb15

TENDER TUESDAYS – SURVIVING my HUSBAND’S RETIREMENT #2

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TENDER TUESDAYS – SURVIVING my HUSBAND’S RETIREMENT #2

NO MORE 4 LETTER WORK EXCUSE !

So we’re into WEEK 2 of being home after husband’s retirement cruise. WEEK 1 was spent snowed in for about 5 days (unusual for Vancouver Is.) and of course, husband’s birthday was right in the middle of that unlikely occurrence. Let’s just say, it wasn’t a memorable celebration – nothing much in the cupboards yet for creating a special dinner and birthday cake…. No one was going to join us for chili and, of course, there wasn’t a single gift wrapped, let alone a card. You see where this is going? What did happen was the viewing of the SUPER BOWL GAME that husband had anticipated watching in the Palm Desert. So we … Read the rest

Feb9

TENDER TUESDAYS – SURVIVING my HUSBAND’S RETIREMENT -#1

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TENDER TUESDAYS – SURVIVING my HUSBAND’S RETIREMENT -#1

FREEDOM 69! A REALITY?

“They” say that it’s never a good idea to have BOTH spouses retire at the same time. Husband and I took that advice to heart and now 6 years later; husband has finally done the deed! (Or so it appears…) It took him a few false starts and tons of procrastination, so rather than leaping into this phase, he took 6 years of baby steps towards the edge of the cliff! The point is- he finally retired on Jan. 1st, just before his 69th birthday arrived. (… Or did he?)

You may be asking yourself how that’s going for this spousal team? Well, let’s just say, there isn’t a clear picture yet, as they took off … Read the rest

Feb5

SNOW DAY- A BLAST of WINTER!

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SNOW DAY- A BLAST of WINTER!

Waking up to a WINTER WONDERLAND on Vancouver Island, after just returning from Central America and the Caribbean, might make one think that this was CRUEL!  Not so! In fact, it was like waking up to a birthday gift!

mary_snow_day

After moving  to B.C. from the prairies, Mary found SNOW DAYS absolutely fascinating.  During her first year of teaching in Horseshoe Bay, a SNOW DAY was declared.  Declared, that is, for the students, as it was presumed too dangerous for them to be dropped off at school.  She “pooh-poohed” this nonsense until she had to make the drive from Deep Cove all the way out to Horseshoe Bay, including the cut (a very, very steep incline in North Van) … Read the rest

Dec20

FREE FRENCHIE SERIES – AN AMAZON KINDLE GIFT SET DEC.26th-30th

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FREE FRENCHIE SERIES – AN AMAZON KINDLE GIFT SET DEC.26th-30th

My gift to my followers during the HOLIDAY SEASON (DEC. 26-30) is the opportunity to access the FRENCHIE SERIES  (Books 1-3) for FREE on Amazon Kindle.  FRENCHIE’S BEST FRIEND- Follow the Blog is definitely a family Christmas read– you’ll understand why when you read this tale with a twist. The Frenchie Series is suitable for kids who aged 8-13 (Middle Grade Readers… TWEENS)! (or anyone who is a doggie person… and loves to laugh) Although the books are VERY reasonably priced (less than a greeting card)- they are available free on Kindle for 5 days. Please download all 3 books of the Frenchie Series and accept my gift to you! (Dec. 26-30)

MARY LAUDIEN’S FRENCHIE SERIES

… Read the rest
Dec13

TENDER TUESDAYS-Prairie Girl Series #10

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TENDER TUESDAYS-Prairie Girl Series #10

Happy Anniversary Prairie Girl–

                   We’ve Bought a New Boat!

For those of you who have been following the Prairie Girl posts on Tender Tuesdays, you’ll recall the post, “WE BOUGHT an OLD TUB! … REALLY?… REALLY!” I won’t mention which Yachting magazine is publishing it on their last page of the January Issue… but some of you will figure it out, I’m sure… The reason I mention it, other than the fact that I’m proud to have it published, is because Prairie Girl and husband sold their OLD TUB (after completely refurbishing it and enjoying several memorable seasons with it). Hence, the title of this post–“HAPPY ANNIVERSAY PRAIRIE GIRL– WE’VE BOUGHT A NEW BOAT!”        newsailboat

One … Read the rest